The invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for packaging and for transporting electronic devices, in particular semiconductor components.
The fabrication of electronic devices such as semiconductor chips or other discrete semiconductor components is usually effected on so-called semiconductor wafers to which a large number of identical semiconductor structures are applied in rows and columns. Singulation to form individual semiconductor components or chips is subsequently effected by sawing. This method is referred to as “wafer scale assembly”.
The sawing itself causes fewer problems with regard to the risk of damage than the later handling of the semiconductor components or chips and the processing thereof to form semiconductor devices. The chip edges are extremely sensitive to mechanical damage, with the result than an effective protection is necessary which is effective not only at the module level but already at the component level, that is, for the individual semiconductor chips.
A mechanical protection of the semiconductor chips may be realized by means of an additionally applied layer on the rear side of the semiconductor wafer, which is later separated together with said semiconductor wafer. For example, such a layer may consist in a thin resist layer. However, even such an additional layer or resist layer cannot ensure a reliable protection of the sensitive chip edges. At the module level, use may be made of so-called heat spreaders that cover the complete module. For example, these are plastic caps in the form of heat sinks or the like. However, during the handling of the devices, there is no effective edge protection for the chip edges up to the processing to form modules.
One possibility for the handling of very small electronic devices having typical housing sizes in the millimeters range consists in picking up and setting down by means of vacuum forceps. Each process of rotation and turning in order to bring the electronic devices into an envisaged packaging direction either in the back position or in the normal position means a high outlay and is associated with the risk of such a device being lost in the course of rotation and turning. In the course of this handling, too, there is the risk of damage to edges of the electronic devices.
An apparatus and a method for handling and for transporting electronic devices are disclosed in JP 2001 085 360 A. In this case, electronic components are applied to a self-adhesive layer of a carrier sheet that shrinks under the action of heat, which is subsequently cut in specific positions; In this way, it is possible to combine one or a plurality of electronic devices in a package which permits damage-free handling and protected transport of the devices.